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Major-General (Res.) Yaakov Amidror
Photo: Dana Kopel

Amidror: Stop spreading Judaism through street stands

Religious general (Res.) says he believes strongest influence on State's Jewish identity is made possible in academia, research

Jewish culture is thriving, tefilin stands are multiplying, but strengthening Judaism and the connection to our roots is mostly made possible in the academia, Major-General (Res.) Yaakov Amidror believes.

 

In a speech delivered last week he ruled that "those who think infiltrating Jewish values into the State's identity will be made through culture, or through street stands, is wrong. This influence will be sparse. The main way to influence the character and identity of the State will be through the academia and research."

 

Amidror, who serves as vice president at the Lander Institute, made the remarks during a ceremony for Judaism master's degree graduates.

 

"Sixty years after the State's establishment, Israel has reached a situation in which it finds it difficult to define its Jewish and ideological identity," the religious general said.

 

He encouraged the graduates to continue exploring these issues in academic or education frameworks, promising them that they would thus influence the State's Jewish nature.

 

The guests of honor were Shimon Adler, director of the Religious Education Administration at the Education Ministry, and Prof. Ben-Zion Rosenfeld, head of the Department of Land of Israel Studies at Bar-Ilan University.

 

Rosenfeld addressed the apparent contradiction between science and Jewish law, saying that "we must deal with this courageously. A through examination reveals that most of the contradictions can be resolved without giving up the principles of values imparted at the yeshiva.

 

"Unfortunately, I know senior academicians, religious people, who have adopted an approach saying, 'Be a Jew in your home and a research person outside.'"

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.15.08, 11:42
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